What I Was Doing at 15
During my sophomore year, I was living in a small town south of Boston MA. I had a good family, we were middle class & I had really just about everything I needed. I had no childhood traumas other than a short hospitalization for a kidney infection & the loss of pets over the years.
 
In many respects, I looked like a "good" kid. I didn't get in trouble at school, I got pretty good grades, played on the tennis and field hockey teams, and had a job at a local donut store. In other respects, though, I wasn’t looking so good. I fought with my parents pretty much constantly. I was doing a lot of things I should not have been & doing a lot of dangerous things. I didn’t realize how prevalent drugs and alcohol were in my life until I went to college & heard about other people’s high school experiences. Sometimes I think back & think most of my town probably should have been in rehab or getting some sort of mental health counseling.

I made my way to Portland about 8 years ago, after living in Arizona and Texas for about 10 years. I cherish my family, which includes my 6 year old son and my 2 month old daughter. I am currently employed as a family advocate. I have a master’s in social work and am trained as an art therapist. I have been working with children and families for about 10 years. In all my experience working with our most vulnerable children, I wholeheartedly believe in the power that adults can have in positively influencing kids.  

When I think of the adults who were in my life when I was 15, I think of names, get flashes of faces. Some were good folks and some got made fun of a lot, but none really left a lasting impression on me. Though it may sound rather cliché, my parents are really the reason I have become the person I am today. They weren’t perfect, but everything they did was out of complete dedication to me and my younger sister. They were and continue to be exemplary role models for work ethic, helping others, the importance of family, dignity, and grace.  While I did everything in my teenage years to be just the opposite of them I would now hope I could say I've turned out like them. I consider myself very fortunate.